8.2-8.5 APUSH

Post-War Cooperation

1. Definition: Efforts after WWII to establish global institutions promoting peace, security, and economic recovery.

2. United Nations (UN): International organization founded in 1945 to prevent future wars and promote diplomacy.

3. Security Council: The most powerful UN body, tasked with maintaining international peace; includes five permanent members (U.S., U.K., USSR, China, France) with veto power.

4. World Bank: Financial institution providing loans for reconstruction and economic development, primarily in war-torn Europe.

5. Broader Significance: Established frameworks for international cooperation but also became battlegrounds for U.S.-Soviet Cold War tensions.

Iron Curtain

1. Definition: The political and ideological barrier dividing democratic Western Europe from communist Eastern Europe.

2. Winston Churchill: Former British Prime Minister who warned of Soviet expansion in his 1946 “Iron Curtain” speech.

3. Satellites (States): Eastern European nations controlled by the USSR (e.g., Poland, Hungary, East Germany) that acted as a buffer zone.

4. Broader Significance: Marked the beginning of the Cold War and the division between the Western and Eastern blocs.

Containment Policy

1. Definition: U.S. strategy aimed at preventing the spread of communism.

2. George Kennan: American diplomat who wrote the “Long Telegram” (1946), advocating for containment as the best way to counter Soviet expansion.

3. Broader Significance: Shaped U.S. Cold War policies, including military and economic interventions (e.g., Truman Doctrine, Korean War, Vietnam War).

Marshall Plan

1. Definition: A U.S. economic aid program providing $13 billion to rebuild Europe after WWII.

2. George Marshall: U.S. Secretary of State who proposed the plan to stabilize Western Europe and counter Soviet influence.

3. Broader Significance: Strengthened U.S. alliances, helped Western Europe recover, and deepened Cold War divisions.

Truman Doctrine

1. Definition: U.S. policy pledging military and economic support to nations resisting communism, starting with Greece and Turkey in 1947.

2. Broader Significance: Marked the official start of U.S. Cold War interventionism and justified future military actions.

Berlin Airlift

1. Definition: U.S. and allied effort to supply West Berlin by air after the Soviet Union blocked land access in 1948.

2. West Germany: Became a U.S.-aligned democratic state after the blockade.

3. East Germany: Soviet-controlled communist state established in response to West Germany’s formation.

4. Broader Significance: Demonstrated U.S. commitment to containment and worsened U.S.-Soviet relations.

North Atlantic Treaty Organization

1. Definition: Military alliances formed during the Cold War.

2. NATO (1949): A U.S.-led defense pact among Western democracies to counter Soviet aggression.

3. Warsaw Pact (1955): The Soviet Union’s response, forming a military alliance with Eastern Bloc nations.

4. Broader Significance: Institutionalized Cold War divisions and increased global military tensions.

National Security Act of 1947

1. Definition: U.S. law that reorganized the military and intelligence agencies to improve Cold War preparedness.

2. Broader Significance: Created the CIA, NSC, and Department of Defense, expanding the U.S. military-industrial complex.

Arms Race

1. Definition: A competition between the U.S. and USSR to develop superior nuclear weapons.

2. NSC-68: A 1950 policy document urging a massive U.S. military buildup to counter Soviet expansion.

3. Broader Significance: Led to increased military spending and the development of nuclear deterrence policies.

Douglas MacArthur

1. Definition: U.S. general who led UN forces in Korea.

2. Broader Significance: Fired by Truman for advocating war against China, demonstrating civilian control over the military.

China

1. Definition: The Chinese Civil War resulted in a communist victory.

2. Chiang Kai-shek: U.S.-backed Nationalist leader who fled to Taiwan after losing to Mao.

3. Mao Zedong: Communist leader who established the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

4. Broader Significance: Increased Cold War tensions as China became a major communist power.

The Korean War

1. Definition: A conflict (1950-1953) between communist North Korea and U.S.-backed South Korea.

2. 38th Parallel: The pre-war and post-war boundary dividing North and South Korea.

3. Kim Il Sung: North Korea’s communist leader.

4. Syngman Rhee: South Korea’s anti-communist leader.

5. Broader Significance: First major U.S.-Soviet proxy war, reinforcing Cold War divisions.

John Foster Dulles

1. Definition: Eisenhower’s Secretary of State who promoted an aggressive stance against communism.

2. Brinkmanship: The strategy of pushing conflicts to the edge of war to force the enemy to back down.

3. Broader Significance: Increased global tensions and the risk of nuclear war.

“Spirit of Geneva”

1. Definition: Diplomatic efforts to reduce Cold War tensions.

2. Atoms for Peace: Eisenhower’s initiative promoting peaceful nuclear energy use.

3. “Open-skies” proposal: U.S. offer for mutual aerial surveillance, rejected by the USSR.

4. Broader Significance: Showed early attempts at diplomacy but had limited success.

Massive Retaliation

1. Definition: U.S. policy of responding to any Soviet attack with overwhelming nuclear force.

2. Broader Significance: Strengthened deterrence but also escalated the nuclear arms race.

Hungarian Revolt

1. Definition: 1956 anti-Soviet uprising crushed by Soviet forces.

2. Broader Significance: Exposed U.S. limits in aiding Eastern European resistance against communism.

NASA

1. Definition: U.S. space agency created in response to Soviet space advancements.

2. Sputnik (1957): First artificial satellite launched by the USSR.

3. Broader Significance: Sparked the Space Race and increased U.S. investment in science and technology.

U-2 Incident

1. Definition: A 1960 crisis in which the USSR shot down a U.S. spy plane.

2. Broader Significance: Increased tensions and disrupted U.S.-Soviet peace talks.

Cuba

1. Definition: The U.S. failed to overthrow Cuba’s communist leader.

2. Fidel Castro: Aligned Cuba with the USSR.

3. Bay of Pigs: A botched 1961 invasion by U.S.-backed Cuban exiles.

4. Broader Significance: Embarrassed the U.S. and strengthened Castro’s regime.

Cuban Missile Crisis

1. Definition: A 1962 standoff over Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba.

2. Nuclear Test Ban Treaty: 1963 agreement banning atmospheric nuclear tests.

3. Broader Significance: Brought the world closest to nuclear war, leading to improved U.S.-Soviet communication.

Non-Proliferation Treaty

1. Definition: 1968 agreement limiting nuclear weapons spread.

2. Broader Significance: Reduced nuclear proliferation but not completely effective.

Henry Kissinger

1. Definition: Nixon’s advisor who promoted diplomacy with the USSR and China.

2. Broader Significance: Helped ease Cold War tensions.

Strategic Arms Limitations Talk

1. Definition: Treaties limiting nuclear weapons and missile defense systems.

2. Broader Significance: Marked a turning point in U.S.-Soviet relations toward arms control.

Loyalty Review Board

1. Definition: A federal agency created in 1947 by President Truman to investigate government employees for communist ties.

2. Broader Significance: Marked the start of the Second Red Scare, as thousands of federal workers were investigated, and many lost their jobs despite little evidence of wrongdoing.

Dennis et al. v. United States

1. Definition: A 1951 Supreme Court case that upheld the Smith Act (1940), which made it illegal to advocate for the violent overthrow of the U.S. government.

2. Broader Significance: Set a precedent for limiting free speech during the Cold War, reinforcing government crackdowns on suspected communists.

McCarran Internal Security Act of 1950

1. Definition: A law requiring communist organizations to register with the government and allowing the detention of suspected subversives.

2. Broader Significance: Increased federal surveillance and repression of political dissidents, despite Truman’s veto (which was overridden by Congress).

House Un-American Activities Committee

1. Definition: A congressional committee that investigated alleged communist influence in American society, particularly in Hollywood and government institutions.

2. Broader Significance: Led to blacklists, career destruction, and heightened fear of communism in the U.S., fueling McCarthyism.

Alger Hiss

1. Alger Hiss: A former State Department official accused of being a Soviet spy.

2. Whittaker Chambers: A former communist who testified against Hiss, providing documents as evidence.

3. Broader Significance: Hiss’s conviction for perjury (not espionage) deepened fears of communist infiltration and boosted Richard Nixon’s political career.

Rosenberg Case

1. Definition: A Cold War espionage trial in which Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were convicted and executed in 1953 for allegedly passing nuclear secrets to the USSR.

2. Broader Significance: Controversial case reflecting Cold War paranoia; critics argued the trial was biased and fueled by anti-communist hysteria.

McCarthyism

1. McCarthyism: The practice of making baseless accusations of communist ties, named after Senator Joseph McCarthy.

2. Joseph McCarthy: Wisconsin senator who led aggressive anti-communist investigations, often without evidence.

3. Broader Significance: Created a climate of fear and repression in the U.S. until McCarthy was discredited in 1954 after accusing the U.S. Army of communist infiltration.

Harry S. Truman

1. Definition: U.S. president (1945-1953) who took office after FDR’s death and led the country through postwar transitions and the early Cold War.

2. Broader Significance: Implemented the Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, and Fair Deal, desegregated the military, and navigated Cold War tensions, including the Korean War.

Employment Act of 1946

1. Definition: A law aimed at promoting economic growth and preventing unemployment, creating the Council of Economic Advisors to advise the president.

2. Broader Significance: Marked a shift toward government responsibility for economic stability, though Truman’s broader goals for full employment were weakened by Congress.

Servicemen’s Readjustment Act

1. Definition: A 1944 law that provided financial aid to WWII veterans for college education, home loans, and business opportunities.

2. Broader Significance: Helped millions of veterans reintegrate into civilian life, spurred economic growth, and contributed to the expansion of the middle class and suburbanization.

Baby Boom

1. Definition: A massive increase in births between 1946-1964, as millions of returning soldiers started families.

2. Broader Significance: Led to long-term demographic and economic shifts, including increased demand for housing, schools, and consumer goods, shaping American culture and society.

Levittown

1. Definition: A mass-produced suburban housing development in New York, built by William Levitt, which became a model for postwar suburbanization.

2. Broader Significance: Symbolized the rise of affordable suburban living, homeownership expansion, and racial segregation, as many Levittowns excluded Black Americans.

Sun Belt

1. Definition: A region in the South and West that experienced rapid population and economic growth after WWII.

2. Broader Significance: Attracted industries and workers due to lower taxes, military bases, and air conditioning, leading to a shift in political and economic power from the Northeast and Midwest.

22nd Amendment

1. Definition: Ratified in 1951, it limited the U.S. president to two elected terms.

2. Broader Significance: Passed in response to FDR’s four-term presidency, ensuring no future president could serve indefinitely, reinforcing democratic limits on executive power.

Taft-Hartley Act

1. Definition: A 1947 law that restricted labor union power, allowing states to pass right-to-work laws and banning closed shops (requiring union membership for employment).

2. Broader Significance: Weakened labor unions, marked a shift toward pro-business policies, and reflected growing conservative backlash against New Deal-era labor protections.

The Fair Deal

1. Definition: Truman’s domestic program aimed at expanding New Deal policies, including national healthcare, civil rights, and education funding.

2. Broader Significance: Most proposals were blocked by Congress, but it led to the expansion of Social Security and minimum wage increases, influencing later liberal policies.

Dwight Eisenhower

1. Definition: U.S. president (1953-1961), WWII general, and leader of a moderate Republican administration.

2. Broader Significance: Focused on Cold War containment, the Highway Act, Modern Republicanism, and balancing federal power with conservative economic policies.

Modern Republicanism

1. Definition: Eisenhower’s approach to governance, maintaining essential New Deal programs while promoting fiscal conservatism.

2. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare: Created to oversee social welfare programs.

3. Soil-bank Program: Paid farmers to reduce crop production, aimed at stabilizing agricultural prices.

4. Broader Significance: Demonstrated a balanced approach between government intervention and conservative economic policies, shaping moderate Republicanism.

Highway Act

1. Definition: A 1956 law funding the construction of Interstate Highways, the largest public works project in U.S. history.

2. Broader Significance: Improved national defense, boosted economic growth, fueled suburban expansion, and increased automobile dependence.

“New Frontier”

1. Definition: President John F. Kennedy’s domestic program focused on economic growth, civil rights, and space exploration.

2. Trade Expansion Act (1962): Gave the president power to negotiate lower tariffs and expand international trade

New Federalism

1. Definition: A policy introduced by President Richard Nixon aimed at shifting power from the federal government to state and local governments.

2. Revenue Sharing: A system in which the federal government distributed a portion of its tax revenue to states and municipalities with fewer restrictions on how it could be spent.

3. Broader Significance: Marked a shift away from New Deal and Great Society programs, reducing federal control over social programs and increasing state autonomy, though critics argued it weakened federal protections for civil rights and social welfare.

Stagflation

1. Definition: A combination of stagnant economic growth, high unemployment, and inflation, which plagued the U.S. economy in the 1970s.

2. Broader Significance: Challenged traditional economic theories, forcing new policy approaches like wage and price controls (under Nixon) and later supply-side economics (under Reagan), while also undermining public confidence in government economic management.

Television

1. Definition: Became the dominant form of entertainment and news dissemination in the 1950s, with millions of households owning TV sets.

2. Broader Significance: Transformed American culture by shaping consumer behavior, political campaigns, and national identity, contributing to the rise of mass media influence.

Advertising

1. Definition: The postwar economic boom led to an explosion in advertising, promoting consumer goods through television and print media.

2. Fast food: Chains like McDonald’s expanded, reflecting changes in American eating habits and suburban culture.

3. Credit cards: Encouraged consumer spending and the rise of a debt-based economy.

4. Broader Significance: Reinforced a consumer-driven economy, increased corporate influence, and shaped modern spending habits.

Paperback books

1. Definition: Affordable, mass-produced books that became widely available in the 1950s.

2. Broader Significance: Made literature and education more accessible to the public, contributing to the spread of ideas and cultural literacy.

Rock and roll

1. Definition: A new music genre that blended rhythm and blues with country, popularized by artists like Elvis Presley.

2. Broader Significance: Became a symbol of youth rebellion, challenged racial barriers in music, and influenced later cultural movements.

Conglomerates

1. Definition: Large corporations that owned multiple businesses in different industries, reducing economic risk.

2. Broader Significance: Reflected the shift toward corporate consolidation in postwar America, leading to increased economic stability but concerns over monopolization.

Social Critics

1. Definition: Writers and intellectuals who criticized the conformity and materialism of 1950s America.

2. The Lonely Crowd: Sociological study critiquing the shift from individualism to conformity.

3. The Catcher in the Rye: Novel by J.D. Salinger expressing teenage alienation and disillusionment.

4. Catch-22: Satirical novel exposing the absurdities of war and bureaucracy.

5. Beatniks: A countercultural movement rejecting mainstream values through literature and lifestyle.

6. Broader Significance: Influenced the counterculture movements of the 1960s and challenged traditional social norms.

Warren Commission

1. Definition: A government panel led by Chief Justice Earl Warren, established to investigate the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

2. Broader Significance: Concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, but skepticism over its findings fueled conspiracy theories and distrust in government.